Mexican Field Study To Obtain Basic Information on Truck Transport

A field study begun in Mexico in 1991 is described. This study has become an annual task without a deadline. The fieldwork seeks knowledge about truck traffic on Mexican roads, type of vehicles used, vehicle size and weight, tonnage transported, routes followed, type of freight moved in each case, origin and destination of movements, the packaging system for the transported freight, and whether the movement is related to domestic or to international trade. From these data, which are the core of the information gathered, other data can be obtained, such as each vehicle’s degree of compliance with current size and weight regulations, the economic value of the freight transported, age of the fleet examined, empty vehicles detected, occupancy rate of each truck (cargo tonnage/maximum payload), and fuel type used. This study is described, and some examples of the information it provides based on the collected data are provided. Also, some of the most important applications for the acquired information are enumerated.